Mouthpiece attachment for playing keyboard musical instruments



Nov. 15, 1949 I P. v. ELFSTROM 2,488,178

MOUTHPIECE ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYING KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 1, 1947 if 8 I 18 3mm i PAUL 1 ammo/w 2'5 I l O 17 16 W rfla/z/zdaon Patented Nov. 15, 1949 'MOUTHPIECE ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYING KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Paul V. Elfstrom, Batavia, Ill.

Application August 1, 1947, Serial No. 765,396

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to an attachment for playing keyboard instruments by lung pressure or suction.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved attachment for playing keyboard instruments such as the piano, organ, and the like, without the use of hands to manipulate the keys, said instrument being intended primarily for use by persons whose hands are partially incapacitated, as by the loss of a plurality of fingers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved attachment for playing keyboard instruments which is very simple in construction, easy to operate and reliable in performance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational, partly schematic, view of an attachment for musical instruments constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the attachment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal crosssectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail cross-sectional view showing one of the pneumatic switch operating cylinders and associated structure as employed in the keyboard attachment of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, II designates a generally channel-shaped housing of insulating material having a front wall I2, a bottom Wall l3 and a rear wall I4. Secured to front wall I2 inside housing II is a block I5 formed with a plurality of bores I6 in each of which is slidably positioned a piston II. Connected to each bore l6 and extending through front wall I2 is a conduit I8 and connected to each conduit I8 is a conduit I9 of flexible material such as rubber hose. Each conduit I9 is connected by a short rigid tube 20 to a respective aperture 2| formed transversely in an elongated mouthpiece 22, the apertures 2I being uniformly spaced along the length of the mouthpiece. Mouthpiece 22 may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, glass, or the like.

Each piston I1 is connected by a rod 23 secured thereto to a respective depending lever 24, each lever 24 being pivotally secured adjacent its top and between a respective pair of parallel spaced metal fingers 25, 25 by a cotter pin 26,

'viewed in Figure 1. 'ries at its end a depending contact element 34 the fingers 25, 25 projecting inwardly from and being carried on a metal plate 21 secured to rear wall I4 of housing II. The connection of each rod 23 to each lever 24 is by a pivot pin 28, whereby the lever 24 may angle freely with respect to the rod 23. Connecting the lower end of each lever 24 to bottom wall I3 is a coiled spring 29 which biases the lever to a substantially vertical position. The levers 24 are of suitable electrically conductive material, such as copper, brass, or the like. The top end of each lever 24 is twisted at right angles to the plane of the lever, as shown at 30, to provide a contact element.

Secured to the top edges of the front and rear walls of the housing in the planes of rotation of the respective levers 24 are respective pairs of rigid metal strap members 3|, 32 extending respectively from front wall I2 and from rear wall I4 toward the respective levers 24 and terminating adjacent the top ends thereof. Each strap member 3| carries at its end a depending contact element 33 adapted to be engaged by the contact element 30 at the top of the adjacent lever 24 when said lever is angled clockwise, as

Each strap member 32 caradapted to be engaged by the adjacent lever contact element 39 when the lever is angled counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 1. Clockwise angling of said lever occurs when the player blows into the aperture 2| of the mouthpiece 22 which is associated with the lever, the lung pressure being transmitted to the associated bore I6 by the respective conduits 20, I9, and I8 associated therewith, whereby said pressure acts on the piston [l in the bore causing said piston to move rearwardly and to produce the clockwise angular movement of the lever. When suction is applied to the same aperture, the movement of piston I1 is reversed and the lever is angled counter-clockwise. In its normal vertical position the contact element 30 is out of contact with and is spaced between the depending contact elements 33 and 34.

Secured to the outside of rear wall I4 is a horizontal metal bar 35 which extends substantially for the full length of housing I I. Designated at 36 is the keyboard of an instrument such as a piano, organ, or the like. Secured to the instrument on a suitable support, not shown, adjacent each key thereof is an electromagnetic key actuator 31, comprising solenoids 38, 38 which are adapted to depress an armature 39 responsive to energization of the solenoids. The armature 39 the strap member 3| associated with the lever and the actuator for the other key being connected to the strap member 32 associated with said lever. A battery id is connected by respective wires t5 and 46 to bar and metal plate 2?. When lung pressure is applied at a given aperture 2! in the mouthpiece 22, the lever 24 associated therewith swings clockwise and its top con tact element 39 engages the depending contact element 33. This closes an energizing circuit for an associated key actuator 31 through element 33. strap member 3!, wire 62, the actuator 3?, wire 4 I, bar 35, wire 45, battery 44', wire 46, plate member 27, fingers 25, 25 and lever 2 5. When suction is applied to the same aperture, the lever swings counter-clockwise, as above described, closing the energizing circuit for the actuator 3'! for the next adjacent key, said circuit being through contact element 34, strap member 32, wire 38, the next actuator 31, wire M of said next actuator, bar 85, wire 55, battery 55, wire 46, plate member 2?, fingers 25, 25 and the lever 24,

It is thus seen that each aperture 2! on the mouthpiece 22 controls two adjacent keys, and that all of the keys on keyboard 36 may be controlled by providing half the number of apertures as there are keys, and by providing actuating means for each key similar to that above described. The keyboard 36 may then be operated by applying either lung pressure or suction at a particular aperture in order to strike a desired y.

While a specific embodiment of a pneumatically operated attachment for playing keyboard instruments, has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the inr vention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for operating the keys of a musical instrument keyboard comprising a mouthpiece member formed with a plurality of apertures, a support, a purality of levers pivoted to said support, a plurality of pneumatic cylinders carried by said support, each cylinder being connected to an aperture, a pistion in each cylinder connected to a lever, whereby the lever will be pivoted in one direction responsive to lung pressure at said aperture and in an opposite direction responsive to suction at said aperture, and means for actuating a first key of the keyboard when the lever is pivoted in said one direction and for actuating a key adjacent said first key when the lever is pivoted in said opposite direction.

2. An attachment for operating the keys of a musical instrument keyboard comprising a mouth piece formed with a plurality of apertures, a support, a plurality of levers pivoted to said support, a plurality of pneumatic cylinders carried by said support, a flexible pneumatic conduit operatively connecting each cylinder to a respective aperture,

a piston in each cylinder, rod means connecting each piston to a respective lever, whereby the lever will be pivoted in one direction responsive to lung pressure at said aperture and in an opposite direction responsive to suction at said aperture, electricall operated actuators for each of the respective keys of a group of keys of the keyboard, means for energizing one of a pair of adjacent actuators responsive to pivoting of a lever in said one direction, and means for energizing the other of said pair of actuators responsive to pivoting of the lever in the opposite direction.

3. An attachment for operating the keys of a musical instrument keyboard, comprising a mouthpiece formed with a plurality of apertures, a support, a plurality of levers pivoted to said support, spring means biasing the levers to predetermined normal positions on said support, a plurality of cylinders carried by said support, flexible conduits connecting the cylinders to respective apertures of the mouthpiece, a piston in each cylinder, a rod connecting each piston to a respective lever, whereby the lever will be rotated in one direction responsive to lung pressure at its associated aperture and in the opposite direction responsive to suction at said aperture, electromagnetic actuators for the respective keys of a group of keys of the keyboard, an energizing circuit for each actuator, means for closing the energizing circuit for one of a pair of adjacent actuators responsive to rotation of a lever in said one direction, and means for closing the energizing circuit for the other of said pair of actuators responsive to the rotation of the lever in the opposite direction 4. In a musical instrument including a plurality of keys, separate electric circuits and electric means actuated thereby for selectively actuating each key, the improvement comprising a support, a plurality of pairs of spaced contacts fixed to said support, circuits for separately actuating adjacent pairs of keys, a circuit operatively connecting a stationary contact of each pair to an electric means for actuating a key, a second circuit operatively connecting the other stationary contact of each pair to an adjacent electric means for actuating an adjacent key, a movable'contact between each pair of spaced contacts, a reciprocable piston operatively connected to each movable contact so as to move the same alternately into contact with each of said stationary contacts to close separate circuits to adjacent keys upon movement of said piston in opposite directions, means biasing said movable contact to an intermediate position out of engagement with both stationary contacts, a pneumatic cylinder housing said piston, a flexible pneumatic conduit operatively connecting eachmouthpiece aperture to a cylinder, each piston being moved in one direction by lungpressure applied to its mouthpiece aperture to close a circuit to one key-actuating electric means and in the opposite direction response to suction applied to such aperture to close a second circuit to an adjacent key-actuating means.

PAUL v. ELFsTRoM.

file of this patenti UNITED STATES PATENTS Name t Mor an "we-H",- June 11', 1967 Number 

